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Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Cassia Occidentalis against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Oxidative Stress in Wistar Rats

A. Ravi Kumar and K. Abbulu

The efficacy of ethanolic extract from Cassia occidentalis against CCl4 induced oxidative stress was tested using wistar albino rats. The antioxidant activity was assessed by monitoring the levels of lipid peroxides, antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-Stransferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, and non-enzymic antioxidants like reduced glutathione, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, cereloplasmin and uric acid in the liver tissues. Administration of CCl4 increased the level of lipid peroxides decreasing the activities of enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants. Pre-treatment with ethanolic extract significantly prevented the alterations induced by CCl4 and maintained a near normal antioxidant status. Decreased activities of enzymes in CCl4 intoxicated rats and their reversal in the ethanolic extract treated rats shows the potency of ethanolic extract in combating CCl4 induced oxidative stress.